Electric gas-lighter.



JAMES D. MCINTYRE, OF NEWMAN, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1 Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

Application filed March 4, 1907. Serial NIL-360,401.

T 0 all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Janus D. MCINTYRE, citizen of the United States, residing at Newman, in the county of Douglas and State of I Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Gas-Lighters, of wlnch the following is a specification My invention relates to electric apparatus and has special reference to gas lighting devices.

The chief objects of my invention are to provide a portable'means for ignitingilluminating gas at the burners and to furnish asimple and inexpensive appliancefor that purpose that can be readily attached to the circuit \vires whether the latter are led direetly to the gas fixture or to any other locality in the compartment.

I accomplish the desired results by means of a light; and simple apparatus, which is furnished with an insulated handle and connected by suitable cord circuits with the wires of the main lines, andsupplied with mechanism for making conne tion between the terminals to produce a spark of suilicient tensity to light a gas jet.

In the accompanying drawing which forms apart of this specification: Fig xc 1 is a side elevation of my improved gas lighter, and Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing method of connecting the wires with a battery Referring to the drawing in detail the nu- 1neral3 indicates the barrel of a p sto shaped member having a handle 4 by means of which the device can be conveniently h ld and moved aboutin anydirect-ion to reach 1 he various gas burners within its radius of mo rement. Thesaid handle is formed integral with the barrel and the latter has .an extension 5 secured to the portion 3 by means of a lug 6 projecting axially from the latter and furnished with threads 7 which engage corresponding threads in the extension 5. The latter formed of some insulating material and for this purpose I prefer hard rubber as allording the requisite physical qualities in a m arked degree. The said extension 5 is provided with a central bore 8, whichextends from the front end rearwardly and communicates with the external surface by an orifice 9. A metallic arm 1t), preferably formed of copper is secured to the muzzle by a screw 11 which engages threads cut in the bore 8. The said arin 10 extends upwardly at a right angle with the barrel and has its end 12 bent to the rear.

; Upon the upper surface of the barrel 3 is secured a lug 13 which engages a socket 14 in nected to the said lug by a rivet 16.

the under side of a lever 15 which lies )amllel with the said barrel. and is pivotally con- 50 The rear portion of the said lever is reduced in size to form a thumb piece 17 and the lever is kept in its initial position by means of a spring 18 secured to the barrel 3 by a screw c5 19, its freecnd 2t! being in contact \vitlrthe underside of the thumb piece 17. The ante rior portion 21 of the lever is formed of hard rubber or other insulating substance, and is secured to the rear portion 15 by a threaded lug :22 as in the case of the extension 5 previously described. The front end of the lever is furnished with a slot 23 in which is inserted a copper contact piece :24, a bolt serving as a pivot on which said contact piece turns, and a spring 26 secured to the under surface of the anterior portion 31 by a screw 27 holds the piece 24 in its initial or extended posit-ion which is in alinement with the lever 15. The tip of said spring 26 is turned about a lug 24 so as to restore the p ece .24 to its initial position when flexed ineither direction upward or downward as it passes the contact point a when operated as hereinafter described.

Connection is made with any available source of electrical energy by means of a conductor 28, the wires 29, 30, properly insulated being securely knotted to screw eyes 31, 32, respectively fired to the sides of the membe-rs 321 and the wires are then continued to their cont acts. The wire 29 passes into the bore 8 through the aperture 9 and is soldered or otherwise secured to the metal screw 11 which is in electric contact with the arm 10 thus constituting one terminal of the circuit. The other wire 30 is in contact with the terminal 24 through the pivot boit its nut 33 serving as a binder for the said wire.

in order to install'the appliance, the conductors are connected to the house wiring when such is present, or special apparatus is provided as shown rliagrammatically in Fig. 2 in which 154 indicates the battery and 35 a.

sparking coil connected in the circuit-in the usual manner.

To use the apparatus the operator grasps the instruimmtby the handle 4 and having turned on the gas holds the. end carrying the terminals 10 and 24 in proximity to the escaping jet. The lever 15 is rocked upon its pivot 16 by pressure made upon the piece 17 uy the thumb of the same hand that grasps the handle 4. and the adjustment is such that the terminal '24 will yield sufiiciently as it makes contact with the tip 12 to pass byand when the thumb piece 17 is reeased the spring 18 will restore the arts to their initial position, the piece 24 yielding as it passes by'the terminal 12 in the same inanner as; before, thus causing a double spark at thccontact a eachtime the lever is rocked up and down. e r 4 It is obvious t at many changes may be made in the details of the devices of my invention as herein disclosed without departure from the spirit and scope thereof and I do not wish, therefore. to be limited-to the precise construction set fortln Having thus described my invention, 1 claim is 1. An electric gas lighter, lever provided with a handle, an auxiliary lever yieldingly pivoted to the main lever, means for manually operating said auxiliary lever, extensions formed of insulating material attached to said levers, a contact arm secu ed to the main lever extension, 8. contact piece yieldingly pivoted to the auxiliary lever extension, said contact piece being adapted to engage the said contact arm in' what including a main passing the same when the said auxiliary ever is operated, and electric conductors connected with said contact piece and said contact arm.-

2. In. an electric igniter, the combination of two contact members pivoted together intermediate of their ends, one of said members carrying a movable spring contact which 'al alinement contact projects in 'substant therewith and movesin a plane coincident f'movement of said 0 with the plane 0 air-"yin. ng er of said contact mem ers member, the 0th having a flattened end adapted to substantially guard the movable contact from 'out-' side influence and constituting a stationary contact, operating handles secured to the ends of the said contact members, circuit wires secured to the said contactmembers, and sprin means normally tending to retain the move le contact Within the stationary contact.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 50 in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES D.

MCINTYRE.

Witnesses WniL. A COOLLEY A. H. RUsH. 

